


Rescue party

by MelindaCoulson4



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Daisy remembers May as her SO because MayDaisy family rights, Daisy thinks about philinda, Deke loves his lemon family, Drama, F/M, Family Feels, Flirting, Nathaniel is the reason why we can't have nice things, Sousy is cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25769536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelindaCoulson4/pseuds/MelindaCoulson4
Summary: Daniel & Daisy have entered a chronicom ship to look for their missing teammates. What could go wrong?
Relationships: Deke Shaw & Jemma Simmons, Deke Shaw & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson & Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 15
Kudos: 148





	Rescue party

"Q _ua_ ke. _Qu_ ake. Qua _ke_ ," Daniel repeated the word several times, saying it with a different inflection each time as they walked through the chronicom spaceship.  
  
"You'll love this then. For most of my life...into the beginning of my 20's my name was Skye. I picked it out myself," she informed him.  
  
"Skye. That's very cute."  
  
"Cute?" She'd been called many things, but never cute.  
  
"But I still prefer _Quake_ ," he added, eyes crinkling with laughter.  
  
She rolled her eyes, barely fighting back a smile.  
  
Side-by-side, they walked together. She thought back to the plan they'd made with Mack. They'd made the tough decision to split up. Mack had grumbled, but she argued that it was another thing he would never do, therefore could not be predicted by Sybil. He knew she was right. With no idea what they were really doing, they set out to find Simmons and Deke. They'd lost contact with the lighthouse. She could only hope that somehow they rest of them would get here. It was May, Coulson, and Yo-Yo, so she had faith that they'd find a way. Even without the zephyr or the quinjet.  
  
Daniel's hand bumped against hers. Her stomach fluttered in response. Neither of them verbally acknowledged it, but the energy between them was palpable. The conversation she'd had with Mack on the quinjet went rolling through her head on repeat. It would be their last mission and he'd just accepted it. She didn't want it to end. Change was never easy. It was hard and it sucked. And she really wasn't sure what she would be without Shield. She couldn't help but feel that something terrible was about to happen. It had her stomach in knots. Words unsaid always haunted her the most. She didn't want to have any regrets.  
  
She eyed Daniel and made her decision. "Before we don't have the time, there's something you need to know."  
  
She slowed to a stop. He approached her curiously, waiting for whatever she would say.  
  
Thinking about it was one thing, actually making the words come out of her mouth was another thing altogether. Earlier, before they'd separated, Mack had given her a discrete thumbs up behind Daniel's back. She didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but she hoped it was a good thing.  
  
"I kissed you."  
  
He froze then chuckled. "Like...in a dream?"  
  
That gave her pause. Like she would admit to dreaming about him. Yea right. "No, for real. During the time loops."  
  
At a loss for what to say, he paused. "You're just telling me this now?" He asked.  
  
Shame hit her. "I'm sorry. Between everything happening I didn't really have the time to bring it up."  
  
"Of course," he said slowly and with complete understanding. "But next time just come to me. Just like this and hit me hard and fast with the truth."  
  
"Next time?" She raised a brow. He was awfully confident. "Maybe I don't want to ever kiss you again."  
  
He looked to the side, then took a small step closer. "Oh. I think you do. Why else would you bring it up?"  
  
"Wow. You've just got me completely figured out don't you?" She tossed back, smiling brighter.  
  
"Basically...." His eyes dipped to her mouth.  
  
They both leaned in.  
  
A chuckle broke them apart. "Oh oh no don't tell me..." A voice called out. She knew it immediately.  
  
At the opposite end of the hall stood Nathaniel Malick, watching them with interest. "This is....wow. This is just beautiful. Congratulations to the happy couple. You two."  
  
The shock of his presence came first. Then all the anger she'd stored up for him came back at once. Her hand flew out and Nathaniel was swept off his feet.  
  
Grabbing onto Daniel's biceps, she pushed him behind her, towards the way they'd come from. "Run. Run," she begged of him. "Back to the quinjet." Anywhere but here, where he would be in the line of fire. It was all too familiar.  
  
Daniel stood his ground. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.  
  
Before she could say anything more, Nathaniel interrupted them. "I guess that was to be expected," he called out, standing once again. "I'll let it slide... _Quake_."  
  
And just like that it became clear that he'd been spying on her and Daniel for much longer than she first thought. "Don't call me that," she snapped.  
  
"I'm curious." He pointed at them. "When did the two of you happen? In the barn as you curled up together? Or after? He held you in his arms as you wept over your mother, didn't he?"  
  
She ground her teeth together to keep from lashing out.  
  
"I'm not here to take credit for this but....you're welcome." He smiled.  
  
She hated him more than ever before. No motivation existed inside of him. His only goal was to hurt. It was the worst villain story she'd ever heard. She couldn't take it anymore. "You're good at that. Taking credit for things from other people. Getting into Afterlife by manipulating Kora. Destroying Shield bases using Sybil's technology. Stealing my powers. What have you accomplished on your own? _Anything_ at all?" She called out in question.  
  
The lights inside the walls to her left and right started to flicker. A few sparks shot out. Abruptly, it all stopped and the lights dimmed the hall as it was before. Nathaniel's face changed, morphing into a cheery facade. "Clever. Getting inside my head. Nice try. I'll give the mind games an A minus." He studied her. "What have I accomplished on my own you ask? Nothing. One person can't achieve much, but with a team you can do just about anything. I learned that from you. Sybil, John Garrett, and Kora are a solid starter team, but it's not enough. That's why I'm going to take yours and you'll be left with nothing. Jemma Simmons is on my team. Daniel, let's bring you on over to my team too. Maybe that'll give Daisy here a push." Nathaniel snapped his fingers.   
  
She twisted around to grab onto Daniel. As her hands reached out, a pain blossomed from the tips of her fingers and ran up her arm. A powerful force rocked into her shoulder, sending her flying back into the nearest wall.  
  
She collapsed face-down on the hard metal floor. All the air flew out of her upon impact. Her entire body seemed to freeze. Her lungs stuttered in her chest. She couldn't breathe. Panic took hold quickly. She managed to pull herself into an upright position. On her hands and knees, she gulped in air trying to get her lungs to work again.  
  
Lifting her head briefly, she looked down the hallway. Where there used to be only one, now there were three figures on Nathaniel's side.  
  
"Thank you, John. I'll call if I need you again."  
  
"Roger that, Nate."  
  
A bright blue light flashed then disappeared.  
  
Her head pounded. A warmth trickled down past her ear. She blinked furiously. Everything seemed to be a blur. Finally, her lungs seemed to jump start again. Air rushed into her body, but that was all she could focus on.  
  
"Danny, you shouldn't have tried that. Leave the fighting to the superheros," Nathaniel suddenly said.  
  
A strange sound came. Her brain felt foggy. She watched, confused as to what she was seeing.  
  
Daniel was pressed up against the wall face first. "I only see one here and it's not you," Daniel said.  
  
_Daniel in trouble._  
  
"Don't," she murmured, feeling like cement had been poured in her mouth. "Daniel," she tried to call out to get him to stop. With powers strong and temper short, Malick would kill him too whether purposefully or accidental.  
  
Still on her hands and knees, her legs and arms shook. All her strength seemed to be gone. She wanted to lie back down and be done.  
  
_Get up_ , she heard a voice. It had been ingrained in her from years ago. In those days her entire body existed as a sore entity from all the times she'd be thrown to the mats. _"You're going to get knocked down, but if you want to be an agent you get up again. You fight."_ It was May's voice. _Get up, Skye,_ her SO demanded again.  
  
Head swimming, she pulled herself up into a standing position. _Fight. Fight._  
  
She leaned against the wall. Swallowing hard, she tried to keep focus on what was happening. _What had happened?_ Nathaniel Malick had drugged her and Daniel, tossed them in a barn, and stolen her powers. He made her bleed. He took Kora from her mother, then killed her mother. He took Simmons and Deke. And now he had Daniel. With every thought a renewed reason to fight flowed within her body. The gauntlets around her forearms vibrated. Her fingers were crackling with untapped energy.   
  
No more. No more.  
  
"There she is. Who would've thought about the two of you? Sybil didn't tell me about this, but I can see it even from across this room." Nathaniel suddenly grabbed hold of Daniel's shirt collar and spun him forward. Forcing him between them as a hostage, holding Daniel as a shield. " _Ah ah ah_. I can feel you, Daisy. Don't try anything or Daniel gets it first," he warned.  
  
She couldn't bring herself to make a comeback. Nathaniel was too volatile. Too unpredictable. One small thing could set him off and Daniel would suffer the same fate as her mother.  
  
"Daniel, buddy. I don't know if you can handle her. I think that maybe we should send you back home to 1955. How's that sound? Or if you don't like that I can send you to your grave. Your choice of course."  
  
She pushed off the wall.  
  
Daniel stood his ground. No fear. No wavering. He locked eyes with her. "I'm where I need to be. _You_ do what you need to do," Daniel said steadily. There was a tiny nod. _Do it,_ that nod said.  
  
It was a goodbye, directed at her. He wanted her to take the chance at Nathaniel. Her heart deflated. _Not again._ She felt paralyzed. Every bone in her body seemed to be shaking.  
  
"So it's the grave. I won't say you didn't go down bravely. Shield would be pro-"  
  
There was a metallic thump one second. The next, Nathaniel was on the ground, face down.  
  
Daniel blinked at her. She stared back, both of them shocked that he was still standing.  
  
"That was for hurting Nana." She heard someone say.  
  
There was a clatter. A fire extinguisher rolled to the side near Daniel's feet.  
  
Daniel turned and she got a view of Deke delivering a kick to Nathaniel's ribs. "And that was for my head."  
  
She rushed forward. She and Daniel collided into each other. Her hands went around his torso. While his went over her shoulders, wrapping around her. Enveloping her in his body, solid and still breathing. Taking a ragged breath in, they stayed like that just being together. Reassuring one another that they were okay. Alive.  
  
He cupped her jaw. "Are you okay?" He asked, eyes roaming around her face.  
  
"I am now," she answered, holding onto his forearms.  
  
_"Where did you take her?"_ Deke screamed.  
  
She let go of Daniel. They both turned.  
  
Deke had rolled Nathaniel over onto his back. _"Tell me, you bastard!"_ He demanded, taking Nathaniel by the lapels of his jacket and shaking him fiercely. His head bounced from the force of Deke's movements, but he was knocked out cold.   
  
Now was her chance to end it. She got closer and raised her left arm, ready to destroy Nathaniel for all he'd done.  
  
"No!" Deke spread his arms out, covering as much of Nathaniel's body as he could. "You can't kill him," he said. There was desperation in his eyes.  
  
It wasn't that Deke was doubting her ability. From the beginning, he knew that she was powerful enough to become the destroyer of worlds. "He took Nana somewhere," Deke explained hurriedly.  
  
It was like she was seeing Deke for the first time. He was in bad shape. Blood had caked in his hairline. His forehead was bashed up. A split marred his bottom lip. Bruising decorated his right eye.  
  
"Are you okay? What did they do to you?" She asked, moving closer.  
  
"I will be when we get Nana back. They relocated her and forgot about me." Emptying Nathaniel's pockets, Deke worked with a fierce determination. "Actually she may have forgotten about me by now too. She doesn't know who Fitz is." He said it with such nonchalance that she didn't know how to process it.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?" Daisy asked, swearing that she misheard him. _Simmons would never._  
  
"Something went wrong in the memory machine. He tried to force her into finding Bobo while she still had the implant in. It did the opposite."  
  
"We still don't know where Fitz is?" At least then they could've had somewhere to start. But they were in no better position than before. One could argue that they were actually in a worse position now.  
  
"No," Deke answered.  
  
Daisy remembered the way Simmons had broken down. Uncontrollably apologizing and crying when the implant came out. That reaction had stuck with her. It still left her reeling.  
  
"Well what are we supposed to do with him? Tie him up?" Daniel asked, gesturing to Nathaniel.  
  
"I've got something better," Deke said. Some green vest with several pockets rested on his shoulders. It made him look like a weird mixture between a fly fisherman and a military man. From the largest pocket he pulled out a box with wires.  
  
"You brought video games?" She asked exasperated.  
  
Settling the VR headset on top of Nathaniel's head, Deke said, "the framework. It'll keep him busy."  
  
"That is not going to work," she said skeptically. This was the real world not his video game intended for sedation and complacency in 2091.  
  
"Oh yea well I've done it before. With that huge guy on Sarge's team. It did the job, trust me." He gave her a look that told her not to mess with him. "Unless you have a better plan?"  
  
Short of killing Nathaniel, no she didn't. Deke's was the best and only plan they had. "Okay. Okay," she relented.  
  
"We'll get him to the memory machine and put him in this time. See what else he's been up to." Then Deke attempted to lift Malick. Struggling and in pain, he looked eerily similar to Fitz and willing to do anything to get Simmons back.  
  
"I've got him." Without waiting, Daniel stepped in and picked Nathaniel up. Thankfully the little psycho probably weighed no more than 150 pounds soaking wet and wasn't someone huge like Carl Creel.  
  
They could do nothing, but follow Deke's brisk pace. It annoyed her having the enemy literally in their arms and doing nothing about it. But, if keeping him alive got them closer to Simmons, she'd do it.  
  
Daniel was going with the flow as always even after being put through emotional torture. The reassurance of his touch was something she craved right now, but they didn't have that luxury thanks to Nathaniel. She wanted to hug him, take him back to the quinjet and just float through space. Just the two of them. In the quiet, where no one was trying to kill them or destroy the world. But that was a dream. Not achievable now. If she wanted to ever be able to be with Daniel she couldn't have him sacrificing himself. She couldn't have him in the way again.  
  
"Next time I tell you to run I need you to do it." It came out harsher than she intended, but she was scared for him.  
  
He barely gave her a glance. "I'm not just going to abandon you," he argued.  
  
"You won't be. You see how he used you against me. He'll do it again any chance he gets. So when I say run. You run." As serious as she could be. The fate of the timeline was at stake.  
  
"Fine," he agreed unhappily.  
  
"I'm getting major Coulson and May vibes," Deke said from her left.  
  
She fastened him with a death glare and would've elbowed him if not for his already beat up body.   
  
"We are _not_ Coulson and May," she murmured.  
  
"Oh really? Arguing in the middle of a mission about saving each other while aboard an alien spaceship doesn't sound like them to you?" Deke argued.  
  
The ramorath's gunfire had echoed through the ship. She'd come around that corner only to find Coulson's blue shield up, while the man was in a deep lip lock with May. Terrible timing, it seemed to be their lifelong curse.  
  
"Just don't kiss while we're being shot at and we're good. That's where I draw the line," Deke said.  
  
"We only kiss in time loops," Daniel piped up.  
  
Her head whirled around. His eyes swung her way. Unreadable. Steady. He was not happy like he'd been before.   
  
"Not true," she murmured. She wanted to say more, but Deke's presence halted her.  
  
"It's settled then. When this is over, we'll resume what this goof rudely interrupted," Daniel said about Nathaniel.   
  
She nodded. They had a lot to talk about, but now was not the time.  
  
"So you two are happening then?" Deke cut in.  
  
"We are most definitely happening," Daniel confirmed almost instantly.  
  
So it was true, they were on the same page. They were doing this. That made her feel better. One last hurdle to get over and they'd be home free.  
  
"Shit. I owe Mack fifty bucks," Deke sighed with annoyance.

_//end//_

**Author's Note:**

> I was disappointed that Deke didn't get his hero moment so he gets one here.


End file.
